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The Lead with Jake Tapper

New England Patriots Quarterback News Conference; Analysis of Brady's Remarks

Aired January 22, 2015 - 16:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

TOM BRADY, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS QUARTERBACK: How you doing? Obviously, I would much rather be up here talking about the Seahawks and preparing for the Super Bowl which we have been trying to do for the last few days. But, you know, coach Belichick addressed it with you guys this morning.

And I wanted to give you guys the opportunity to ask questions that you want. I will do my best to provide the answers that I have, if any, and we'll go from there.

(CROSSTALK)

QUESTION: When and how did you supposedly alter the balls?

BRADY: I didn't, you know, have any -- I didn't alter the ball in any way. I have a process that I go through before every game where I go in and I pick the balls that I want to -- the footballs that I want to use for the game. Our equipment guys do a great job of breaking the balls in. They have a process that they go through.

When I pick those footballs out, at that point, to me they're perfect. I don't want anyone touching the balls after that. I don't want anyone rubbing them, you know, putting any air in them, taking any air out. To me, those balls are perfect and that's what I expect when I show up on the field.

So, that happened obviously on Sunday night. It was the same process I always go through. I didn't think anything of it. I woke up Monday morning and answered a question on the radio about it and that was the first I really heard of it.

(CROSSTALK)

QUESTION: What do you think happened?

QUESTION: This has raised a lot of uncomfortable conversations from people around the country that you, three time Super Bowl champion and two time MVP as their idol. The questions they are asking themselves is, what's up with our hero? So, can you answer right now, is Tom Brady a cheater?

BRADY: I don't believe so. I mean, I feel I always played within the rules. I would never do anything to break the rules. I believe in fair play and I respect the league and everything they're doing to try to create a very competitive playing field for all the NFL teams. It's a very competitive league. Every team is trying to do the best

they can to win every week. You know, I believe in fair play and always believed in that for as long as I'm playing.

(INAUDIBLE)

BRADY: No, I think everyone is obviously trying to figure out what happened. I think that's the main thing over the last couple days, it's trying to figure out what happened. Like I said, I was as surprised as anybody when I heard Monday morning what was happening.

That's -- I think over the last few days, people have been trying to figure out as the NFL is trying to figure out, you know, what part of the process and, you know, from when I saw the ball which was five hours before halftime, what exactly happened.

QUESTION: Do all top quarterbacks doctor the balls? Do you feel you have done anything differently than anybody else in the league?

BRADY: I'm not sure. You know, I can only speak for myself. I think that there's a process that everybody goes through breaking in footballs and it's probably a lot like a baseball mitt when you're a kid. I try to explain that to my friends a lot, you know?

When you use it and that's your equipment, a football is something that I handle on every play. I want to be very familiar with the equipment that I'm using, just like my cleats, just like my helmet, just like my, you know, my pads.

You know, you go through that process of breaking the balls in and getting comfortable with them. Of course, I choose the balls that I want to use for the game, and then that's what I expect to go out on the playing field with.

(CROSSTALK)

QUESTION: -- get this out of the way and take this head on so you can get focused on the Super Bowl?

BRADY: That's where the importance is, as far as I'm concerned. I know this is a very important thing and that's why I'm here addressing it. You know, I know my teammates, you know, we have accomplished something really special getting to this point. You know, I don't like the fact that this has taken away from some of the accomplishment of what we have achieved as a team. I think hopefully our best is still to come.

So, we're going to work as hard as we can over the next 10 days to put ourselves in great position to be prepared for the game.

(CROSSTALK)

BRADY: Yes?

QUESTION: Could you tell the difference from, quote-unquote, "underinflated" ball to overinflated ball and the balls you used in first half, did you notice a difference in the balls that were actually there for the second half? Would it make a difference?

BRADY: I didn't -- from the first half to the second half, I didn't think twice about it. I don't put one thought into the football at that point. You know, once I approve the ball, like I said, that's the ball that I expect out there on the field. So, it wasn't even a thought, inkling of a concern of mine that they were any different. I just assumed that they were exactly the same, first half, second half.

QUESTION: Tom, what do you say to the skeptics who say, look, the Patriots have had issues before, how can we possibly believe what Brady and the coach are saying now?

BRADY: Well, everybody has an opinion. I think everybody has the right to believe whatever they want. I don't ever cast judgment on someone's belief system and I don't, you know, that's what they feel like they want to do, then I don't have a problem with it.

I think part of being in this position and putting yourself under a spotlight like this and being open for criticism, I think that's very much part of being a professional athlete. So, you know, we can only express to you what our side is and how we approach it, and then everyone is going to make their own --

QUESTION: As a follow-up, are you comfortable within yourself that nobody on Sunday on the Patriots side did anything wrong?

BRADY: I have no knowledge of anything. I have no knowledge of any wrongdoing of --

QUESTION: Are you comfortable that nobody did anything wrong?

BRADY: Yes, I'm very comfortable saying that. I'm very comfortable saying nobody did it, as far as I know. I don't know everything. I also understand that I, you know, was in the locker room preparing for a game. I don't know what happened over the course of the process with the footballs. I was preparing for my own job, doing what I needed to do.

(CROSSTALK)

QUESTION: Three or four years ago, you said that you liked the ball deflated. You were quoted saying you like throwing a deflated ball. You actually joked about Gronk spiking it because it oozes out a little bit of air and you like a softer ball. So, explain that comment in context of what you're dealing with this week.

BRADY: Yes, I know I remember, you know, I obviously read that I said that. You know, I like them the way I like them, which is at 12.5. To me that's a perfect grip for the football. So, I mean, I think that particular term, deflated or inflated, whatever norm you're using, you could probably use. I would never do anything outside of the rules of the play. I would never, you know, have someone do something that I thought was outside of --

QUESTION: So, you have never knowingly played with a football that was under 12.5 pounds of pressure? BRADY: No.

QUESTION: Can you try to find out why the ball -- in the last few days, why the balls were so underinflated? I mean, obviously, it's important to you and the reputation of the Patriots. Have you tried to find out? Even though, you don't know that (ph). Or should you have tried to find out why the balls were underinflated?

BRADY: That's a great question. I think there's a lot of people that have more information than me. You know, I only know what I have kind of gone through and the process that I have, you know, taken as part of the game and the post-game, as well as trying to prepare for the Super Bowl.

So, you know, I have questions, too, but you know, there's nobody that I know that can answer the questions that I have. So, I just have tried my best to focus on what I need to do to be prepared for Seattle.

QUESTION: Do you know the look and feel of footballs you like. Do you think there could have been other games where you played with underinflated footballs since that football you played with is obviously something you preferred?

BRADY: I don't know. I don't -- like I said, once I'm out on the field I'm playing -- I have no thought of the football at that point. I'm thinking about the defense, I'm thinking about the execution of the play and what I need to do. I'm not thinking about how the football feels. I grip the football and --

(CROSSTALK)

QUESTION: Are you saying, hey, I played with an underinflated ball before?

BRADY: I have no idea. I have no idea. The first I heard of it, obviously Monday morning was the first I heard of it.

(CROSSTALK)

QUESTION: If someone held accountable, if it's found that someone did improperly tamper with the balls in some ways, is it important for you, to the legacy of this team, if someone held accountable?

BRADY: Well, that's for -- I'm not the one that imposes, you know, those type of accountability, you know, discipline, all that. That's not really my job. So, you know, obviously, I would like to know what happened as you all would, too.

In the meantime I'm going to try to do the best I can to get ready to play against the Seahawks because I can't do anything of what's happened in the past. I have to just go forward with the most awareness as I can going forward and trying to be the best I can be for our team.

(CROSSTALK) QUESTION: Everybody is entitled to their opinions and beliefs, right? But how does it make you feel that they are calling your team cheaters on a week -- two weeks before the Super Bowl?

BRADY: You know, I think a big part of playing here is trying to ignore the outside forces and influences and people that are maybe fans of your team or not fans of your team, or fans of yourself or not fans of yourself.

Like I said, everybody is entitled to an opinion. Those opinions rest with those people, you know. I think you can just go out and try to be the best person you can be, deal with people with respect, with honesty, with integrity, have a high moral standard and I have always really tried to exemplify that as an athlete and I will continue to try to do that.

(INAUDIBLE)

BRADY: We've got a lot of motivation. I would say we've got a lot of motivation as a team. You know, I think our team's overcome a lot of adversity this year. I think sometimes in life, the biggest challenges end up being the best things that happen in your life. And we have overcome a lot of those this year as a team.

So, we can rally around one another and support one another. You can be the best teammate you can possibly be and you can go out and support each other and try to go win a very important game.

QUESTION: Did you address your teammates today? And if so, what did you say to them?

BRADY: Those are very personal things with my teammates. So, that's -- it was very personal comments.

QUESTION: When you pick out the balls, Tom, is that before they went through the referees?

BRADY: Yes. It's always the same process. I get here, you know, the playoffs I got here pretty early before the games and then I go in there and I choose however many balls are necessary for the game. Sometimes it's 12, 16, 18, 24. This last particular game was 24.

When I felt them, they were perfect. I mean, they -- I wouldn't want anyone touching those. I would zip those things up and lock them away until I got out on the field and had the opportunity to play with them and that's what I thought I was doing.

(CROSSTALK)

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) that those balls were (INAUDIBLE) officials (INAUDIBLE)?

BRADY: Absolutely. Absolutely. That was very surprising to me.

QUESTION: Tom, one of your teammates this morning said that this was a media thing, it gives us something to talk about.

Is that the feeling (INAUDIBLE)? (INAUDIBLE).

Is there a feeling behind closed doors that we are blowing this out of proportion or is it a serious thing (INAUDIBLE)?

BRADY: Absolutely, no, it's very serious. This is a very serious topic. Obviously integrity of the sport is very important. I think there's another focus that we have also as a team that guys are really focused on our opponent and the things that we have to do to try to be successful.

So everyone's trying to figure out what happened but at the same time, you've got to prepare for the Seahawks also.

(CROSSTALK)

QUESTION: You laughed this off on Monday, though. You laughed this off on the radio. And suddenly today you're a lot more somber about this.

What happened between Monday and today?

BRADY: Well, that was -- you know, look, that was real early in the morning, I got home, you know, at 12 o'clock, 1 o'clock and woke up to do the radio interview and I was very shocked to hear it. So I almost laughed it off, thinking it wasn't -- that was more sour grapes than anything.

It ended up -- it ends up being a very serious thing when you start learning the things that were being said.

QUESTION: The start of the second half was delayed. The balls were swapped out. The coach says he knew nothing about it, which you have to take him at his word, but the game was delayed.

How did you guys on that sideline not know what was going on on the field with respect to the balls and that there was obviously an issue with the balls?

BRADY: I don't think anybody knew there was an issue with the balls. I think they said the balls are not ready for play and then I turned around in the huddle and the ball's ready for play. So I didn't think anything of it.

QUESTION: Nobody said anything to you, Tom, on the sideline?

It was a good minute delay between the start of your -- when you came on the field, got ready, got lined up and then before you had your first snap, there was a good minute delay there.

Nobody said anything?

BRADY: I wasn't paying attention to what was happening at that time. I don't remember, you know, I mean, everything was happening obviously so fast in the middle of the game. I was thinking about the series to go out there and the execution of the game.

QUESTION: So the officials did not say a word to you?

(CROSSTALK)

QUESTION: A lot of fans right now --

QUESTION: You don't feel like you had an unfair advantage over the Colts?

BRADY: I felt like we won the game fair and square. We ended up, you know, playing a great opponent. I felt our team went out and played a great game offensively, defensively, special teams. It was a great accomplishment to reach the AFC championship, to win the AFC championship and then to have the opportunity to play in the Super Bowl.

So that was a great feeling after the game. And obviously the next few days, and hearing of the football issue has taken away from a little bit of that, but hopefully we will rally around one another to bring it back to the task at hand, which is to try to go out and be the best we can be.

QUESTION: A lot of fans right now are disappointed just in the situation right here.

For those, is this a moment where you should just pause and say whether it was by design, and as you suggest it wasn't, or just accidental, is this a moment to just say I'm sorry to the fans of the NFL and to the fans of Tom Brady?

BRADY: Well, I think it's disappointing that a situation like this happens. Obviously, I would love to be up here talking about in a very joyful mood, these are the two best weeks of the year if you happen to be one of the two teams still playing.

So it's a great -- it should be a great two weeks. I'm obviously very disappointed that we have to be having a press conference like this. I wish I could give you more answers or the answers that you guys were looking for, but I don't have some of those answers.

QUESTION: The fans are watching, so if they're looking in that camera, what do you say? What do you say to fans of Patriot Nation?

BRADY: I'm not sure; what would you like me to say? I'm not quite sure.

QUESTION: You can say whatever you like. You're the guy.

Does the league have a responsibility to button this up so that everybody can move on? BRADY: I think they will do however they see fit. You know, I think

that's up to their responsibility to do whatever they want to do. That's kind of usually what happens anyway.

So like I said, I know they're doing their investigation and I'm sure -- I don't know what will happen. QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) a little bit (INAUDIBLE)?

BRADY: I think we're preparing for the Super Bowl. I think this is obviously something we're having to address but at the same time I think we're focused on trying to go out and beat the Seahawks.

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE)?

BRADY: Sorry?

QUESTION: Did the investigators from the league talk to you (INAUDIBLE)?

BRADY: Not yet.

QUESTION: Your perfect ball is 12.5 --

QUESTION: -- issue. You said earlier that first it seemed lighter, and then you became convinced it was more serious.

What was it that convinced you of the seriousness?

BRADY: Well, I just wasn't obviously aware Monday morning of everything that had happened so just as I learned more, you understand that there's more than what I initially --

QUESTION: What's more serious, though, to you?

What's the biggest problem with the (INAUDIBLE)?

BRADY: Just the integrity of the game. I think that's a very important issue to always be mindful of as an athlete, and fair play. I think we set a great example for the younger athletes, the younger kids, the college kids, the high school kids. We want to be the ones to set the great example.

QUESTION: Are you frustrated by this process, are you surprised by the process, of what the story has become and what I guess do you hope the end result is going forward from what (INAUDIBLE)?

BRADY: I'm not sure if I have a hope. I haven't put much thought into that. It's been just a short period of time. I would really love to go out there and play a great game. Obviously the NFL would love to figure out what happened in this situation.

I try to keep everything in perspective so I'm happy that we have the opportunity to play in the next game and obviously I'm disappointed by the footballs of last game, but I can't do anything about what happened. I can only try to -- I can really only do something going forward. QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) talk to you again? The league has not spoken to you, contacted you, (INAUDIBLE) yet?

BRADY: No. But they may. They may. I think that's their -- I think that's obviously their choice.

QUESTION: Tom, do you find that odd, though? If they wanted to, like Tom said, to put this behind us and get ready for the Super Bowl, they would have contacted you?

BRADY: Sure. Yes, they might. They might.

QUESTION: Tom, your --

BRADY: Yes. I'm not -- I don't know, I'm not --

QUESTION: -- it's odd that they haven't at this point. You are the quarterback and you are the center of this story right now and the league's officials investigating haven't talked to you indicates to a lot of people that they're letting this drag on, twist in the wind.

BRADY: I'm not sure.

QUESTION: Have you been told whether they will talk to you?

BRADY: I'm not sure.

QUESTION: Tom, there are people (INAUDIBLE) so familiar with the equipment, how could you not know that the ball was underinflated, what would you say to that?

BRADY: Well, I addressed that a little bit earlier in that, like I said, I don't put any thought into the footballs after I choose them. When you're out there playing, you know, in front of 70,000 people, like a home crowd, you don't think about it. You're just reacting to the game. I don't certainly think about the football. I just assume that it's the same one that I approved in the pregame.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Last question, guys.

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) football do you use in practice?

BRADY: We break them in in practice certainly sometimes. Yes, we definitely do that. It's different from game to game. Some days, one ball may feel good, the next day it may not. It depends maybe on how, I don't know, the humidity in the air or the -- whether -- how old the ball was or -- because there's a lot of variables with obviously Mother Nature and with the balls. So whatever feels good that day, those are the ones that I typically choose.

QUESTION: So those are the same ones (INAUDIBLE) pours some water on when you're not looking at them in practice?

BRADY: Yes, he does that a lot. But you know, they could be. Yes. You know, definitely could be.

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE).

QUESTION: -- look at the balls before each game and you pick the ones you want.

BRADY: yes.

QUESTION: And the ones you get goes (INAUDIBLE) you said earlier you didn't want them to be touched. You didn't notice that 15 percent of the air was out of the ball when you started using it? That's a little hard to believe. At no point, it didn't strike you during that first half (INAUDIBLE)?

BRADY: Yes, Ron, I would -- I didn't feel any different obviously that -- I would just assume that it was the same thing. It's, like I said, once I get the ball, I'm dropping back and reading the coverage and throwing the ball and I'm not, you know --

QUESTION: Most professional athletes can tell you if the basketball (INAUDIBLE) rim's six inches off. And they can tell you from a few taking shots. Baseball players can pick up a bat if there's less than an ounce of difference, (INAUDIBLE) ask us to believe (INAUDIBLE) makes your living in football, 15 percent of the ball is deflated and I didn't even notice?

BRADY: I wouldn't know on a particular play. It was a very wet, cold, windy night. Like I said it's...

QUESTION: Would you call Jackson (ph) (INAUDIBLE) --

QUESTION: Have you asked the staff --

BRADY: I don't know. I don't, you know what, I didn't -- I don't do that, Ron. I get the snap, I drop back, I throw the ball. You know, I grip it and I try to throw the ball. That's the extent of the -- me touching the football. So I don't sit there and try to squeeze it and determine that. If that's what the Colts want to do, then that's what they want to do. I don't -- you know, that was what their decision was.

But I certainly didn't -- yes, certainly I didn't -- no, I did not recognize that. I did not feel a difference between the first half or the second half when supposedly they were inflated to the, you know, originals even more inflated, I didn't notice any difference. I didn't obviously think there was anything different between halves.

QUESTION: You initially tested balls and they met your approval, do you think you would have noticed if the balls were underinflated at that time?

BRADY: Yes, but I'm not, I don't know, it's a -- I guess it's a challenging thing. I'm not squeezing the balls. I'm not -- you know, I don't -- that's not part of my process. I grab it, I feel the lace, I feel the leather, I feel the tack on the ball. That's really what you go for. It's not like I would ever squeeze the football. I just grip the

football. I think there's maybe a little bit of a difference in how I do that.

QUESTION: You did say that --

(CROSSTALK)

QUESTION: -- the fact that you had better numbers after that happened, when the whole exchange was made, you went 9 for 9 in the (INAUDIBLE) third quarter after the supposedly underinflated balls were (INAUDIBLE).

BRADY: Yes, I mean, that's -- like I said, I didn't think any differently in the second half as I did in the first half. I mean, I know we had great second half, it was due to great execution by a lot of great football players.

So like I said, I know that's obviously what they said, they put -- they inflated them and I didn't notice a difference. I wish I could tell you something different. I just didn't notice any difference.

QUESTION: Tom, Tom --

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) 12.5 (INAUDIBLE) pounds per square inch. So and Bill said that possibly a future fix could be to inflate them a little bit more so that if they deflate during the course of the game, it won't go under that bottom level.

Will that take any adjustment for you, if 12.5 is what you like?

BRADY: I don't think that would make much of a difference. Like I said, I didn't feel any difference between what was a 13-pound football or an 11-pound football the other night. So it's pretty irrelevant to me.

QUESTION: Tom, you were instrumental in helping the league change the rule that lets teams bring their own balls to games on offense.

BRADY: Yes.

QUESTION: Will you now help lobby the league to change the rules surrounding this situation?

BRADY: What situation, what process would that be?

Of us breaking in our own balls?

QUESTION: -- balls and making sure the balls are the proper weight throughout the games --

BRADY: Yes. Yes, if they want to do that, I have no problem with that. I certainly wouldn't want them to take away us breaking the balls in. You know, that would -- I think that's a great thing for all the quarterbacks to have the balls in play that they want to use. Everybody has a preference. Some guys like them round and some guys

like them thin, some guys like them tacky, some guys like them brand new, some guys like old balls. They're all different and it's leather and it's all -- every batch comes, it's -- they're different. So you've got to feel them and you try to go out and you try to use the ones that you like the best, the ones that you use in practice, you want to go out there and try to have the most possible consistency you can to go into the game with.

QUESTION: How concerned are some of the balls would be underweight so would you then go to the league and say, hey, let's change these rules, let's make sure I'm never touching the ball that I believe is the proper weight that might not be?

BRADY: Absolutely. If they want to check that, I would love for them to be at full (INAUDIBLE). Like I said, I think that's the perfect fit for me. I know there's other quarterbacks like I said that may prefer more than that. But that's what works for me. It's all a very individual, very individual thing.

QUESTION: You're saying the refs might have missed this?

BRADY: Am I saying that?

QUESTION: Is it possible the refs missed this and they didn't catch it?

BRADY: You know, I don't have any -- you know, I'm not a conspiracy theorist. I don't know what happened. I have no explanation for it. I don't know what happened between the time that I touched it and -- really until Monday morning I had no idea what happened with the balls.

So --

QUESTION: Who handles the balls after the ref hands them back (INAUDIBLE)?

BRADY: I have no idea. That's not part of my process.

QUESTION: Ball boy or equipment manager?

BRADY: I have no idea. I'm preparing for the game. I would never be a part of that.

QUESTION: Tom, have you heard --

QUESTION: -- practice and say I might like this ball for the game, where does that ball go?

BRADY: The quarterbacks always will throw the balls and if we like a ball, then we throw it in the sack.

QUESTION: Tom, (INAUDIBLE) have they contacted your reps, agent, anything? BRADY: As of this morning -- I'm not sure. I would say that. I'm

not sure. They may or may not have. I'm supposed to, you know, talk to my agent after and that may be one of the things that he wants to talk about.

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE)?

BRADY: No.

QUESTION: Tom, have you heard from any former teammates, current NFL players -- you don't have to say who they are, obviously -- but have you gotten any opinions pro or con about what's going on with Deflategate and the Patriots?

BRADY: Oh, I've had a lot of great support from a lot of people and I think in a situation like this, it's really -- it's a very -- like I said, sometimes some of the toughest things you deal with end up being the best things because you realize the people that you can rely on that love you and support you through something like this.

So it's -- I appreciate all their support. I tell them I'm OK, you know. It's -- things are going to be fine, this isn't ISIS. This isn't -- you know, no one's dying. But we'll get through this and hopefully we can really start preparing for Seattle and get our mind focused there, because they are going to take all my mental energy for the next 10 days.

QUESTION: Tom, did this get blown out of proportion for no reason? Think this got blown out of proportion for absolutely no reason?

BRADY: You know, I think the integrity of the game is very important. Yes, the integrity of the game is very important.

QUESTION: Tom, have you personally sought out anyone from the equipment staff just to ask them if they did anything with the footballs?

BRADY: Yes. And they haven't and I believe them and they also know how I like the balls and I tell them how great they are before the game, and how, you know, perfect job, great job, so they know how I like it. And that's exactly the way they are.

QUESTION: Tom, one of the (INAUDIBLE) earlier (INAUDIBLE) guys are two of the most prepared guys for any situation (INAUDIBLE). (INAUDIBLE).

(INAUDIBLE) team, (INAUDIBLE) and (INAUDIBLE), would you be saying, oh, yes, those guys (INAUDIBLE). They know (INAUDIBLE).

BRADY: Well, it's -- who's ever opinion, you know, everybody can have an opinion, Ron. And I think that whatever opinion people have, that's OK by me. I think I put myself in this position where I can stand up here and deal with that.

I know what I go through on a daily basis. I know the process that I take. I also know what's in my control and what's out of my control. So I think a lot of my whole life has been about focusing on the things that are in my control and trying to do the best with that opportunity and the best I can with it.

If I don't know something, I don't know something. I don't know what to say other than that. I just know the process that I go through and I'm very comfortable with it. And hopefully we can go forward and play a great game in a week from Sunday.

QUESTION: Tom, when you left the field on Sunday or drove home Sunday night, is this the last thing you would ever think you would be talking about come the Thursday before you guys depart to Arizona?

BRADY: Yes, absolutely. I mean, like I said, I had no -- yes.

Thanks, guys. I think they said that's it about 10 minutes ago.

So thank you, guys. Good-bye.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: That was Tom Brady, quarterback of the New England Patriots, which will be going to the Super Bowl in a couple of Sundays, admitting nothing. He did not cheat, he said. He says he did not alter or deflate footballs in any way. He doesn't know what happened.

Let's go right to our panel to talk about what we just heard from perhaps the most recognizable face in today's National Football League, CNN's Rachel Nichols, CNN sports analyst, Christine Brennan, former Patriots player, Jermaine Wiggins, and ESPN sports business analyst, Andrew Brandt.

Rachel, let me get your reaction. Brady denied having anything to do with the footballs in Sunday's game. This is a guy, though, who has said in the past he likes his balls a little bit soft, yet today, he says that he can't really tell or he couldn't at least during the Colts game whether it was inflated properly or not.

RACHEL NICHOLS, CNN SPORTS: Frankly, Jake, the most significant revelation in that news conference was that he said that no one from the NFL has contacted him yet about this.

Remember, we heard as early as Monday that the NFL was indeed launching an investigation here. Today is Thursday. The game is played on Sunday. I'm not sure who they've been talking to if they haven't spoken to Tom Brady yet.

I think that's one of the big questions coming out of this as for what Tom Brady actually said. His story is that, yes, it is important to him that those balls are at a certain psi 12.5, which is the bottom of the legal limit within the rules for the NFL.

And that it is in fact important enough to him that he goes through the pile of balls before a game and sort of holds them and compares them and decides with all the other factors we've talked about that are legal to do.

You are allowed to scuff up your ball, you are allowed to see which laces you like, things like that, but that he says once he gets on the field, that sort of drops out of his mind and his story is that he wouldn't be able to feel the difference at that point if the psi on the ball is lower.

As far as he's concerned, he didn't feel any difference between the first half and the second half. People are going to have to decide whether to take him at his word or not and if the NFL investigation goes forward, again, you would hope that they would talk to Tom Brady and they apparently are going to have to talk to the people who had the chain of custody of the footballs after the officials checked them before the game.

But before they got on the field because Tom Brady said he had nothing to do with it. Something happened to those footballs. They were different when they got on the field from when the officials checked them a couple hours before hand.

TAPPER: Let's go to Jermaine Wiggins, former New England Patriot himself. What did you make of the press conference?

JERMAINE WIGGINS, FORMER NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS PLAYER: You know what? I think Tom did a great job. I implore anybody who asked those questions to see how the ball feels, to think about that when 300- pound men are trying to tear your head off and no, wait a second, this ball feels a little different.

To me, I understand what Tom's saying. When you're in the heat of the game, you're in the heat of the battle, you're not thinking about how the football feels, how much air is in it, too much air in it. You are trying to go out there and not get your head knocked off, especially for Tom.

He's trying to read defenses, trying to figure out where his receivers are, and he's trying to stay upright. I look at this as Tom saying you know what, I like them a certain way and I understand that.

As a former player, you like the feel, the texture, you want to see if it's sticking in your hands a little bit. You want to feel how your grip is. I understand exactly what he's saying. After that, he said clearly, I don't have no control over what happens with the balls after I make the decision on which balls I want.

Because now I'm focused on the football game, I'm in the locker room trying to go over last minute adjustments and get ready for the game. I implore anybody to say this ball's got a little bit of air in it with 300 pound maniacs coming after you.

TAPPER: I'll say this for Tom Brady, whether or not you believe him, he went out and took a bunch of questions for a long time, not easy questions. That's a lot more than we get from our public officials in Washington, D.C. and our state capitals, quite often.

I want to go to Alina Machado right now who is inside the room. Alina, Tom Brady is normally a rather soft-spoken guy. How did he seem inside the room there from your view? Did he seem nervous, did he seem at ease? What did you see? ALINA MACHADO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): You know, Jake, it seems to me like he was pretty calm. He did face a grilling, as you mentioned. He did face some very tough questions from a number of reporters out here and there was a lot of skepticism.

There were a lot of people who were really questioning how could he be so familiar with his equipment? And yet not know that the balls were underinflated, and yet each and every time he was very consistent.

He said he did not know, he did not -- he wasn't focusing on the footballs, he was focusing on the game. He also said he had sought out the equipment staff and specifically asked them did you tamper with the balls and they told him they had not done anything to the balls and he believed them.

I think his demeanor here was one that was very calm and he was very -- he seemed to be sincere in the sense that he was trying to answer as many questions as he can. He said he didn't touch the balls, he didn't order anybody to touch the balls. We have to wait and see what ends up happening -- Jake.

TAPPER: Andrew Brandt, what did you make of it? Was this enough to put the whole controversy behind him?

ANDREW BRANDT, ESPN SPORTS BUSINESS ANALYST: Unfortunately, I don't think so. What we do have is the two leaders of the organization on the football side, Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, saying they have no knowledge.

We are left with my colleague, Chris Mortensen's report that 11 of the 12 balls were underinflated. The question becomes at whose direction. I think we read between the lines a little bit here. He says, which Rachel noted, the league has not contacted him which surprises me to no end.

Because we just went through the report that criticized the NFL for shoddy investigation of the Ray Rice matter. Now we have comments by the NFL that they are interviewing that they are going through. I have been around NFL investigations. They roll up, they talk to everyone.

You figured they talked to the equipment staff, the coaches, the players, front office, maybe even ownership, and now we hear they haven't. But he did mention his agent. I think they have talked to middlemen. Maybe it's his agent, maybe a lawyer, maybe the NFL PA about getting to Tom Brady, but there's no subpoena power here.

He doesn't have to talk. So we'll see if there's more to this investigation that we don't really know because the NFL is supposedly getting to the bottom of this and they can't get to the bottom of this without talking to tom Brady.

Maybe there is some negotiations going on about what they are going to ask tom Brady and when and who could potentially be thrown under the bus. I'm just speculating here. TAPPER: Christine Brennan, I want to read a quote from former Dallas Cowboys quarterback, Troy Aikman. He said quote, "Now twice under Bill Belichick and possibly a third time, they have cheated, meaning the Patriots, and given themselves an advantage.

To me the punishment for the Patriots and/or Bill Belichick has to be more severe than what the punishment was for the Saints. What do you make of that?

CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN SPORTS ANALYST (via telephone): It's a good point. I think the bottom line with this almost half hour long press conference which was extraordinarily long, I was very surprised, instead of a resolution there are more questions. This story just rolls on and on and on.

So I think we will get answers eventually. There is no doubt tom Brady, he has spoken with P.R. people and lawyers, you have to surmise that, so if he's not telling the truth, and the NFL, again, I'm shocked as well that the NFL hasn't talked to him already, but the NFL will speak to him.

So if that was not the truth, that 30 minutes was not the truth, then he's in really big trouble because the answers came over and over again in the Tom Brady way and if that turned out to be a lie, then my goodness, who knows what the punishment could be.

But right now, we have no resolution. So while I think Troy Aikman brings up a great point, as a journalist, I know you would agree, Rachel would as well, we are dealing with the facts as we have them. Right now we are still searching for a lot of answers.

TAPPER: Rachel, Tom Brady was asked point-blank should he or should someone from the Patriots apologize even if nothing had been done intentionally to skirt the rules of the game, in so many words, Brady said no, not really. Rachel, do you think that he or anyone from the patriots owes fans an apology of any sort?

NICHOLS: It really depends on what happened which we still don't know. Look, I don't think that the footballs let the air out of themselves. So we know, we can pretty much rule that out. The question is was it some sort of equipment malfunction, was it possibly weather related.

There has been questions raised that maybe the Patriots footballs were at the lowest possible legal limit within the rules, the Colts footballs were maybe in the middle of that span within the rules and that if the temperature knocked them both down, the colts would still be in the rules, maybe not to the bottom where the Patriots would be knocked out, who knows, maybe that happened although the temperature was 51 degrees at kickoff.

We don't know. We don't know if somebody actually took an air pump and let some air out of the footballs. Until we know that, it's hard to say whether they owe anyone apology or some fine money or some suspension time. I would like to know, however, which means I would like the NFL to ask some questions and while Andrew is exactly right, they don't have subpoena power and that was a problem in the Ray Rice investigation.

The Patriots have come out and said we are cooperating fully, we have instructed everybody to cooperate fully with the NFL. If they are telling the truth and they have instructed everyone to do that, and the NFL is telling the truth that they are fully investigating this, I would like some answers and I would like them to talk to some of the key players.

TAPPER: Andrew, let's remind people this is beyond a sports story, not just a game. I believe the top 20 most watched broadcasts in American broadcast history are all Super Bowls. Last year's Super Bowl was the most watched television show in the history of the United States. What kind of impact could this scandal have on the game, if any?

BRANDT: Yes, the if any is the real question. Business is booming. That's why with all the credibility issues around Roger Goodell this fall after the release of the videotape in the elevator with Ray Rice on September 8th, business is booming, owners are 100 percent behind him.

We have record television ratings, we have the Buffalo Bills just sold for a billion four. There's a player friendly collective bargaining agreement in place. All those metrics are booming, but let's look at it this way. We have the biggest event of the year next week. What are we talking about?

We are talking about underinflated footballs. That's the issue. What Rachel raised is we've got to get to this. We've got to get to the NFL now, having a press conference, making a statement, getting in front of this before we get to Arizona on Sunday and Monday and talk about the game for a week hopefully so we're not talking about this.

The NFL has to answer why haven't they talked to Tom Brady, what's going on with the investigation. We were told this would take two or three days. We are almost at that point. If not a penalty, which we don't expect before the Super Bowl, are we going to get some kind of statement from the NFL? This is where this stands right here right now.

TAPPER: All right, Andrew Brandt, thank you so much.

That's it for THE LEAD. I'm Jake Tapper. I now turn you over to Wolf Blitzer in THE SITUATION ROOM.